


Dog Days

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [240]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26138293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: The enthusiastic Labrador ignores her command to halt until he reaches a man sitting on a park bench and then decides to come to an abrupt stop by the stranger’s feet. Almost immediately, the man reaches down and scratches behind the dog’s ears while he looks around, seemingly for its owner. Sam reaches them a moment later, slightly out of breath, and starts to apologize profusely.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Bizarre Holidays [240]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1234973
Comments: 40
Kudos: 96





	Dog Days

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Dog Day’ (26 August); a day to “take time and appreciate the love and value that dogs bring to our daily lives”. Alternate reality; and, quite possibly, pre-series.

Samantha laughs softly as an enthusiastic golden Labrador looks at her, then out of the front passenger window of the car, and back at her. Its eyes are wide, tongue lolling to the side, and tail wagging as she switches off the engine.

“Okay, Olly,” she smiles, “I'm coming.”

She grabs the dog’s lead and clips it onto the collar and making sure the car is locked, heads in the direction of the park. She had been set to go for a run when her plans changed unexpectedly but as she’s still wearing her running gear, she decides to walk Olly for a few minutes to warm up and then she’ll try and run a few laps around the park with the dog by her side.

Sam has only been in Colorado Springs for a few days to visit her father – at his insistence – but she hasn’t really seen much of him since her arrival as his new posting in Cheyenne Mountain has kept him busy. Not that Sam particularly minds; it has given her an opportunity to explore the area and she’s found herself start to fall in love with the place too. As a result, she’s on the verge of accepting her dad’s not-so-subtle offer to pull a few strings in relation to her career. The day she arrived in the Springs, her dad told her about a conversation he’d had with Bollinger, the head of NASA, about getting her into their space program. Sam was initially angry at him for his interference but the more she thinks about it, the more she wonders if she should at least go and meet Bollinger. If she’s honest with herself, she’s bored and unchallenged in her current job and she can’t shake the feeling that she should be doing something... _more._

She glances down and, satisfied that Olly seems okay to continue running alongside her, she returns her attention to her surroundings. She thinks she’d thrive in a job with NASA but she really needs to ask her dad more questions about it – she just needs the opportunity. Even though she’s been staying with him this week, she's barely seen him. She doesn’t know anything about his new role or responsibilities and she refuses to ask. She knows better than to ask. She’s just glad that her father finally seems to have settled.

However, the hours he has spent at work over the past few days has also meant that Sam’s been left to look after Olly, her dad's golden Labrador. Not that she’s complaining; he’s been good company.

She starts to slow her running pace and briefly reaches down to pat Olly when she notices one of her laces has untied. Kneeling down to re-tie it, Olly suddenly lunges forward and starts to run again. The movement means Sam loses her grip on his lead and she quickly finishes tying her lace as she calls after the Lab. He keeps running, however, and she’s no choice but to run after him. She lets a few seconds pass before she calls the dog again but she can’t decide if he doesn’t hear her – or just choses not to listen – because he continues to ignore her commands to halt until he reaches a man sitting on a park bench. He comes to an abrupt stop by the stranger’s feet and almost immediately the man reaches down and scratches behind the dog’s ears while he looks around, seemingly for its owner. Sam reaches them a moment later, slightly out of breath, and she starts to apologize profusely.

"I'm so sorry,” she pants, “he slipped his lead and –”

“Olly is with you?”

The question surprises Sam and she hesitates, wondering how this man knows the name of her father’s dog. With a slight frown, she looks up to see a really, _really_ handsome man studying her with a mix of wariness and intrigue.

“Uh, yeah,” she finally nods, forcing herself to look away. “My fa–” Sam stops abruptly, realizing that she knows nothing about this man. She glances between him and Olly and briefly wonders if he’s about to steal the dog. She doesn’t want to risk fighting him, nor does she want to cause any trouble – especially if the man does know her father, so she plasters on a smile and tries to be friendly.

“You know Olly?”

His lips twitch at the question and the movement causes butterflies in Sam’s stomach. She also realizes the ridiculousness of asking him about his acquaintance with a dog.

“I do,” he finally replies, as he continues to scratch behind Olly’s ears, but his gaze never leaves Sam’s. “I’ve met him a few times with his owner. Is Jacob okay?”

This time, Sam’s lips twitch. “He’s fine,” she offers, then shrugs. “He... had to work today.”

A strange look passed over the man’s face but it vanishes before Sam can give it much thought.

“So, you’re left with dog-sitting duties?”

“Something like that,” she nods.

He glances down at Olly and then back at Sam, appraising. He slowly gets to his feet. “I didn’t catch your name.”

Despite not knowing anything about him, Sam feels like she wants to, and she offers up the information he wants before she can talk herself out of it.

“Samantha,” she smiles.

“Nice to meet you,” he replies and shakes her outstretched hand. “I’m Jack.”

A bark from Olly has them both turn to look at the Lab and Jack grins. “I guess this belongs to you,” he adds, handing the lead back to Sam.

“Thank you.”

A slightly awkward silence falls between them as they continue to hold each other’s gaze when Sam clears her throat and gestures vaguely in the direction of the parking lot.

“I should really be going,” she explains, “but thank you,” she adds, shaking Olly’s lead slightly.

“My pleasure,” he says. He looks as if he’s about to say something else only he closes his mouth and smiles. “See you around, buddy,” he mumbles as he runs his hand over Olly’s head once more.

Sam turns and takes a step in the direction of where the car is parked only for Olly to have other ideas. He sits down by Jack’s feet and refuses to move. A chuckle escapes the man and Sam can feel herself blush.

“Did you drive here?”

When she nods, Jack shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Oh.” Sam shakes her head. “You don’t have to do that, I –”

“Won’t get very far otherwise,” he says, glancing at the dog. When Sam frowns, he shrugs and adds, “Anytime Olly sees me at the park, I walk back to the car with him.”

“I see,” Sam mumbles.

He must sense her wariness, however, because he takes a step back. “If it makes you uncomfortable –”

“No,” she finds herself saying, “it’s fine, I just... it’s fine,” she repeats. “C’mon, Olly,” she mutters when Jack gestures for her to lead the way.

Sam feels him stealing glances at her as they make their way through the park, but they’ve been walking in silence for a couple of minutes before he speaks.

“So,” he hedges, “are you new to the area?” She turns her head to look at him and he shrugs nonchalantly. “I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“I’m just visiting,” she offers.

“Where are you from?”

“Currently? Denver.”

“Interesting,” he mutters. “Are you visiting the Springs for long?”

“I’ve another week here,” she nods, “which is good as there’s still some places I’d like to see.”

“Like where?”

“Pikes Peak,” she answers immediately, “and somewhere that serves a really good cup of coffee.”

He grins and clears his throat. “Well, if you need a tour guide – I’d be happy to show you around.”

His offer is tentative, which surprises Sam, given the man’s confidence moments earlier.

“No pressure,” he adds, as if he can read her thoughts.

“I’d like that,” she finally says.

Jack’s stopped from answering as they arrive back at car and another strange look crosses his face. “Is this yours?” he asks as he points at the vehicle.

Sam glances briefly at him before she pulls the keys from her pocket and unlocks the door. “Yeah,” she says distractedly as she unclips Olly’s lead and he obediently jumps onto the passenger seat. “Well, it’s my father’s.”

A beat of silence passes and Sam winces when she realizes her slip-up.

“Your father?”

She slowly turns to look at Jack.

“Your father is General Jacob Carter?”

“Yes.” She hears his soft curse and notices his body language change and she straightens. “Is this a problem?”

“Ah, no,” he says slowly, uncertainly, and Sam frowns. “It’s just –”

He runs a hand along the back of his neck and lets the sentence trail off when the pieces suddenly click into place. “How do you know my father?”

A heavy sigh escapes Jack at her question. “He’s my boss.”


End file.
